This invention relates to the weighing and packing of poultry in general and more particularly to the automatic packing of poultry, that is weight sorted, into containers for shipment from a poultry processing plant.
According to present methods, poultry is carried by an overhead conveyor in a poultry processing plant through weight sorting stations at which the poultry is automatically dropped into packing bins. Manual labor is utilized to transfer the poultry from these bins into containers such as wooden or paper board boxes. The birds are generally packed into the containers in layers with each layer formed by two rows of birds with the legs orientated toward the center of the box. The number of birds in each row for a given size container depends upon the weight range or size of the birds necessary to load the container to a desired weight. Thus, in addition to counting the number of birds in each row loaded into the container, the packer must also count the number of layers as well as an additional or supplemental number of birds added after the top layer is formed in order to closely approximate the minimum weight of the loaded container. For example, where a packer is to fill a container with birds weighing 3 pounds each so as to approximate a minimum load of 65 pounds, 22 birds must be counted out. The birds must be placed in two rows of five birds each to form two layers or tiers with two additional birds placed on the top layer. The loaded container is then placed by the packer on a roller conveyor for weighing and recording at a scale station. The container is then packed with ice before it is closed in an automatic box closing machine.
It will be appreciated that the foregoing procedure in packing containers with poultry received from weight sorting packing bins is quite costly and often unreliable because of the use of manual labor. Often, boxes are filled with incorrectly sized birds or with an incorrect count. Another disadvantage resides in the weight and heat loss from the birds as they lay in the sorting bins because of the time it takes to pack the birds into the boxes. This time factor also limits the capacity of the conveyor line extending through the weight sorting stations. For example, a conveyor line having a capacity of 6,000 birds per hour in connection with the weight sorting and grading of the birds, may require as many as seven packers.
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a method of automatically packing birds dropped from an automatic weight sorting conveyor into conventional containers and in accordance with the packing arrangement heretofore accomplished manually. In accordance with the foregoing object, an additional object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for automatically packing preselected numbers of birds ordinarily collected within weight sorting bins into standard size containers, each container receiving a number of birds preselected in accordance with its weight range in order to fill each container with a number of birds which will closely approximate the desired minimum weight for each container when loaded.
Machine operation methods and apparatus for the automatic handling of objects to be packed into containers, are generally well known as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,552,620 and 3,512,336. U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,620 to Christian is particularly pertinent to the present invention in that it is designed to automatically pack produce such as celery stalks received from a sizing apparatus into containers. According to the latter patent, celery stalks falling within a preselected size range are ejected from a conveyor and assembled within an accumulator for gravitational transfer to an underlying container, the celery stalks assembled and dropped into the container forming one layer of stalks having the same orientation. The container is then rotated 180.degree. in order to receive another layer of celery stalks oriented in the opposite direction. This procedure is repeated until the container is fully loaded with a preselected number of layers of produce. A rather complex mechanical arrangement is disclosed in the Christian patent for automatically effecting operation of the machine in accordance with the foregoing packing method.
The prior art as exemplified by the Christian patent aforementioned, is unsuitable for the handling of objects such as poultry and is incapable of filling containers so as to more closely approximate the minimum desired weight. Further, machines constructed in accordance with the teachings in the Christian patent would be too complex from a mechanical standpoint so as to function reliably for any extended period of time within the environment of a poultry processing plant. It is therefore an additional object of the present invention to provide an automatic container filling machine which is particularly suitable for operation within a poultry processing plant and in synchronized operational relationship to existing weight sorting apparatus.